A common sight in virtually any cafeteria or restaurant buffet setting is a steam table. Such a table has a upper surface with a number of relatively-large rectangular openings therethrough. Each opening receives a pan, the horizontal, outwardly-protruding edges of which are against the surface and prevent the pan from falling through the opening. Beneath the upper surface (and beneath the pans placed therein) is a shallow reservoir of hot water. Heat rising upward therefrom keeps the contents of the pans hot for serving.
Single-pan arrangements are sometimes known as "chafers" and use a source of heat, e.g., gelled combustible fuel or hot water, below the leg-supported serving pan. An example of a chafer of the type which uses hot water to keep food warm is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,119,800 (Roberts et al.).
For any of several reasons, steam table pans are notoriously difficult to handle. One reason is that they are large, unwieldly and when filled with food, comparatively heavy. Of course, relative weight is subjective but to a diminutive food server working on a cafeteria line, a steam table pan filled with, e.g., mashed potatoes or barbecued beef is likely to be considered heavy.
Another reason that steam table pans are difficult to handle arises from the fact that such pans have four flat edges protruding outwardly from the container portion. Each edge is substantially planar (as opposed to "rolled" or bead-like as the pan shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,237,552 to Cronheim) and when the pan is mounted in an opening in the steam table, the pan edges are essentially flat against the steam table upper support surface. It is difficult to get one's fingers between the pan edge and the support surface to lift the pan out of its opening.
And it is difficult to "gracefully" release a filled pan into its opening--one must simply let go and tolerate the pan free-falling a short distance into position. For pans containing significant liquid, a spill may result.
Yet another disadvantage of known steam table pans and their covers is that the cover simply rests atop the pan with little if any "structure" to retain the cover in position. The person carrying the pan (and its hot contents) usually uses insulated pads and must, however awkwardly, somehow hold the cover in place while carrying.
A cover for carrying a steam table pan which overcomes some of the problems and shortcomings of known arrangements would be an important advance in the art.